It takes a change in lifestyle to make a drastic change in weight

Tuesday

Dec 11, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Daryl Laws / Special to the Times-News

Q: My doctor told me I am morbidly obese and I need to lose more than 100 pounds. I have no ideas how to actually begin except to weigh myself and take a “before” picture. Can you help me? A: It has come to the point that medical doctors need someone that they can refer patients to see to help them lose weight. The weight loss is only part of the process. You need to train to improve the strength of your heart and lungs and increase strength in your muscles. With the excess weight you carry and the strain it places on your knees, hips, back and feet as well as your heart, you need to keep your workout simple and short. Open your training routine with a three- to five-minute walk. It may seem like it is too cautious, but it is far better to begin with baby steps than to be overzealous and do more damage than good. After the walk, rest three to five minutes and go through this simple circuit within 30 minutes: pulldowns for 12 reps, vertical bench for 12 reps, box squats for 12 reps, shoulder presses for 12 reps. Do dumbbell curls for 10 reps on each arm and finish with triceps pressdowns for 12 reps. Try this workout two to three times a week for three weeks. After the three weeks have passed it will be time to modify and expand your training. During this time, increase your walking by a minute a day and walk four to six times a week. Once you are capable of walking for 15 to 20 minutes continuously then it will be time to adjust your cardio, too. You are embarking on a long journey that needs to change your life in order for you to live. Your attitude about food and the role it plays in your life will change. As you take control, you will discover your resolve and the joy of freeing yourself. God bless and keep training.

Daryl Laws is a certified personal trainer and owner of Body Unlimited Inc., 325 Holly Hill Lane, Burlington, N.C. 27215. Contact him at (336) 538-0012 or daryllaws@aol.com; on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BodyUnlimited or follow him on Twitter at @daryl_laws.